A great time to relax and ‘get a load off ’ in one of the city’s many beautiful, mostly 18th century, parks.

Of all of Amsterdam’s parks, Vondelpark must be the most famous and popular. Named after the poet Joost van den Vondel, whose statue stands in the north side of the park, it extends over several hundred acres with bike paths, walking paths, an open-air concert venue, three large outdoor cafes and a Film Museum.

Scattered through the park are ponds with swans and ducks, flower gardens, a petting zoo for the kids and acres and acres of fields to relax and soak up the sun.

Forty years ago Vondelpark was a famous Hippie hangout with many flower children’ smoking pot, making love (not war) and sleeping in the park. Today these 'laid-back vibes' can still be felt, especially on the northern side of the park.

Amstelpark - Situated in the suburb of ‘Buitenveldert’, southwest of Amsterdam, this park was designed in 1972. It is a great location to go to with children. Facilities including a playground, miniature golf, a small circulating train and pony rides.

Park Frankendael is the largest and most important ecological park in Amsterdam. Over the last 10 years this park has been radically renovated. A new park area has been constructed on the location of the former city farm. The historical gardens have been restored to their former glory.

The rare park is open to public and covers 7 hectares. One part of the park is a botanical garden that boasts some 500 varieties of wild plants and trees, rarely to be seen in the Netherlands. The other part consists of wide fields of grass and a playground for children where they're overlooked by mr. and mrs. Stork.

During the early 18th century, many wealthy Amsterdammers used to build country retreats to spend their summer vacation on reclaimed land called Watergraafsmeer, south of Plantage Middelaan. House Frankendael with its ornamented facade is the last of them that survived and is now the location of restaurant Merkelbach with it's magnificent terrace.

On the other side of the park you can have a very nice dinner at restaurant De Kas (The Glass House) where they cultivate all their ingredients themselves.

Every last sunday of the month Park Frankeldael is the location for the Pure Markt (Pure Market) with a great variety of ecological products and a great atmosphere.

How to get there: Take tram 9 from Central Station, Rembrandtsquare or Waterlooplein and get off at Kamerlingh Onneslaan or Hugo de Vrieslaan.

Amsterdamse Bos - This landscape park is the largest recreational area in Amsterdam and Amstelveen. Lying about 4 meters below sea level and laid out in 1930s in a project to reduce unemployment. Today, the marshy areas around Nieuwe Meer are nature reserves.

A stretch of water called the Bosbaan flows through the park, and is the venue for rowing competitions in season. At the west end of the water is the Bosmuseum which exhibits on natural and social history of the park, there are also temporary exhibitions.

The Amsterdamse Bos is a home to about 150 variants of foreign and native trees and colourful collection of birds.

Entertainment includes shallow swimming pools, a pancake house, a goat farm. If you want to hire a canoe or pedal boat, heat for the large lake called Grote Vijver.

How to get there:By car: On the ‘Ring’ around Amsterdam take exit s108. The park is just South of the highway.

By public transport (bus): Take tram line 5, or metro line 51 from Central Station and get out at the ‘E.J. Ernststraat’. Bus 62 from the Amstel Station.